1. Field
Methods and apparatuses consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to an image processing method and apparatus, and more particularly, to an image processing method and apparatus for automatically measuring a myocardial performance index (MPI).
2. Description of the Related Art
Ultrasound diagnostic equipment that is widely used to diagnose diseases may reproduce image signals or audio signals corresponding to the bloodstream or heart rate in the human body by using ultrasound. A user, such as a medical practitioner, may diagnose whether a disease has occurred in an organ, such as a heart, by using an ultrasound image generated by ultrasound diagnostic equipment.
For example, in order to diagnose a cardiac disorder of a fetus or an adult, the movement of the fetus's heart or the adult's heart may be observed by using ultrasound diagnostic equipment. In detail, an ultrasound signal is applied to the heart by placing a probe of ultrasound diagnostic equipment in contact with a heart region. Then, a Doppler ultrasound signal that is reflected in response to the applied ultrasound signal, due to a Doppler effect, is received through the probe. The ultrasound diagnostic equipment may acquire an image of the heart's movement by using the received Doppler ultrasound signal.
In order to diagnose whether a heart operates normally, an index of a living body, such as a myocardial performance index (MPI), needs to be measured and it is determined whether the measured index is within a normal range. Although an ultrasound image indicating the movement of the heart has been acquired by using ultrasound diagnostic equipment, a medical practitioner needs to manually analyze the ultrasound image in order to measure an index of the living body, such as the MPI. For example, the medical practitioner may mark points necessary for measuring the MPI on the ultrasound image, and may calculate the MPI by using lengths between each of the marked points.
In this case of passive measurement of the MPI, the accuracy of the calculated result may vary according to the medical practitioner's skill. In addition, if the medical practitioner wrongly marks the points, the MPI may be erroneously calculated.
Accordingly, it is necessary to provide a method and apparatus for more accurately acquiring or obtaining an index of a living body, such as the MPI.